Hi eclipse 66 I'm sorry to hear about your break in. This is quite tricky to picture as I wasn't certain which walls related to which, but I will give this a go. I wonder if your ceilings are around the 2.4mtr mark, as your doors suggest. Although you have many windows that are probably floor to ceiling, each room is sectioned off by this central corridor, so no real natural light gets down there, is that right? The little natural light that might filter through would be absorbed by the walls, and the colour you have on these walls would not be easily seen. Without. Sounding too mainstream here, I would absolutely paint an offwhite wall the entire corridor and each adjoining living area off that, with exception to your kitchen. All ceilings purest ceiling white along with the window frames and all internal doors. The walls in a satin finish to help the light reflect a little, and move around the wall without being too shiny. You haven't mentioned your floor? Try to keep it consistent in all the living areas including your hallway, and only carpet the bedrooms as these doors would be closed often. With the door filled hallway being a white gloss finish, and a white ceiling in a flat white, the walls will feel a little warmer in comparison, although still a white, perhaps something like a hog bristle 1/4 strength by dulux. In your main living room, and kitchen, paint the hog bristle in full strength, so it feels warmer, as these spaces flow onto each other, feeling larger as a whole. With your doors being so tall, (or the ceiling being comparably low), hang your window rods if any right at ceiling level, use a sheer curtain that even when partly closed let's light filter through, they dress the window but won't block light, for that install roller blinds that will roll right up exposing as much daylight as possible, and if privacy is a factor, the sheer will provide a buffer and still seem light filled. Even if these are never used, framing the window will place an emphasis on the window frame, and more importantly the light they provide, swell as an illusion of vertical space even without it. Aother suggestion for that hall is to use this principle to heighten the ceiling, visually, is to use lining boards vertically, or a wallpaper with a strip or vertical print. Drawing you eye upward toward the end, with a wallpaper, I'm thinking of one I've seen many times over, it's a white or cream background, with an image of birch trunks, the base or top of the trees arent revealed in the picture so it doesn't make the space feel from a low or high perspective. This would provide a creative distraction to the corridor, evoke a feeling as you have walking through a beautiful place, and is graphic but still very neutral. You can even paper you doors so when they're closed, the hallway won't feel so busy. I would remove carpet in the hall if you have any, because a warm closed in space without proper airflow, or light feels stuffy, and carpet absorbs sound and lint, where floorboards or hard surface atleasts has a sound walking down it, which amplifies noise and feels bigger again by comparison. Against this neutral, cohesive space, your furniture andpersonality pieces can really stand out, particularly the red. I would also use this in the kitchen somewhere, maybe a gingham check fabric on the kitchen window or just your accessories. The less is more theory also extends to colour, particularly in smaller busy spaces, minimize these elements, like the repeat of doors and architraves on your walls, by tying them in with single colour, and keep your decorations either in a theme or single colour hue. Scatter your colour around so visually you have somewhere your eye is drawn to around the space. If you get pictures I will know if I'm way off track, but if any of them resonate with you, then great. Good luck. Ml design

Do you have any ideas that you wanted to explore? If not, I suggest talking to a designer that can help you with this kind of problem.

I had a similar situation replacing a thin porch roof, the down pipes that spoilt the simple lines that the posts and flat roof had, basically down pipes just looked just looked heavy and ugly. I fitted the gutters in level as these are short anyway and don't need a fall, but left off the spouting. Then by suspending a heavy* galvanized chain from the centre of the outlet down into large buckets set into the ground, which is filled with rocks or small lumps of concrete, the water will trickle down the chain. (that is a thicker gauge, not heavy* weight). You might also want to anchor the bottom of each chain onto a lump of concrete. You don't have to anchor the bottom, but you don't want anyone to be encouraged to swing on them. Obviously you won't see the buckets, but do need something to capture the water that runs down the chain. Small holes in the buckets allow water to run out gradually. The chains will hang down straight under there own weight, the look is more 'elegant'. If you get so much rain blowing off the chain that it blows onto the posts or house, it's very likely you won't be standing outside, unless you like getting soaked.

I assume you have sailed into your renovations Susan ? The pictures actually look like 2 different houses -- different colours , different styles . I quite like the 'red' ( 2 storey ) side of the house -- even the conservatory and that pattern on the deck railing -- personally I'd paint it in a charcoal , but it's liveable . NOT a fan of the yellow opaque glass , and I'd paint around the outside of your 2 garage doors approx 80-100mm wide white borders to match the rest of the joinery . The other side though -- the roof ( as you said ) would be my first thing -- I'd go a browny/red , very similar to the panels on the other side of the house . The gutters and window sills I'd go a superbright blood red , and even though I agree about the cream veneer bricks and steps -- I'd leave the veneer , and either paint , or preferably tile , the steps in charcoal , and add a couple of 'chunky' stainless rails on the sides . And the base board -- I'd do it in charcoal too . It would not only look better , but make the house look longer and sleeker .